"Let our
writings be open to all people. Let them see what out moral
code
is like! We need not be afraid of this test, for we have a pure
heart and a clean spirit. Let the nations investigate the
habitations of the children of Israel, and of their own accord
convince themselves of what they are really like! They will
then
exclaim for certain with Balaam, when he went out to curse
Israel: 'How beautiful are thy tents O Israel: how beautiful
thy homes!'

"In its attitude towards non-Jews, the Jewish religion
is the most tolerant of the the religions in the world... The
precepts of the ancient Rabbis, though inimical to Gentiles,
cannot be applied in any way to Christians."

"A whole series of opinions can be quoted from the
writings of the highest Rabbinical authorities to prove that
these teachers inculcated in their own people a great love and
respect for Christians, in order that they might look upon
Christians, who believe in the true God, as brothers, and pray
for them."

"We hereby declare the the Talmud does not contain
anything inimical to Christians."

Many people who are interested in the Jewish question are
wont to ask whether or not there is anything in the Talmud
which is not beautiful and sublime, and entirely removed from
anything like hatred of Christians. The confusion of opinion
about the matter is so great, that to listen to those who argue
so wisely about it, you would think that they were discussing a
very ancient and remote race of people, and not the people of
Israel who live in our midst according to an unchanging moral
code by which the religious and social life of the Jews has
been
regulated to this day.

This being so, I have undertaken to show what the Talmud
really teaches about Christians, and thus satisfy the wishes of
those who desire to find out about this doctrine from genuine
original sources.

To this end I have translated the best known Talmudic books
which refer to the Christians, and have arranged these sources
in such order as to bring out clearly the picture of a
Christian
as represented to the Jews by the Talmud.

Lest I be accused of using a corrupted text of the Talmud or
of not having interpreted it correctly, as is generally the
case with those who have attempted to disclose secret Jewish
teachings, I have placed the Hebrew text opposite the Latin.

I have divided the whole into two sections, the first of
which treats of the teachings of the Talmud about Christians,
and the other, the rules which Jews are obliged to follow when
living among the Christians.

I preface these with a brief discussion about the Talmud
itself in the following chapter.

The Talmud gets its name from the word Lamud - taught,
and means The Teaching. By metonymy it is taken to mean
the book which contains the Teaching, which is called Talmud,
that is, the doctrinal book which alone fully expounds and
explains all the knowledge and teaching of the Jewish people.

As to the origin of the Talmud, the Rabbis regard Moses as
its first author. They hold that, besides the written law which
Moses received from God on Mount Sinai on tables of stone,
which is called Torah Schebiktab, he also received
interpretations of it, or the oral law, which is called
Torah
Shebeal Peh. They say that this is the reason why Moses
remained so long on the mountain, as God could have given him
the written law in one day.

Moses is said to have transmitted this oral law to Joshua;
Joshua in turn to the seventy Elders; the Elders to the
Prophets, and the Prophets to the Great Synagogue. It is held
that it was later transmitted successively to certain Rabbis
until it was no longer possible to retain it orally.

Whatever may be said about this story of the Rabbis, it is
sufficiently known to us that before the birth of Christ,
schools existed in Palestine in which sacred literature was
taught. The commentaries of the Doctors of the law were noted
down on charts and lists as an aid to memory, and these, when
collected together, formed the beginnings of the Jewish Talmud.

In the second century after Christ, Rabbi Jehuda who,
because of the sanctity of his life, was called The Saint, and
The Prince, realizing that the learning of the Jews was
diminishing, that their oral law was being lost, and that the
Jewish people were being dispersed, was the first to consider
ways and means of restoring and preserving their oral law. He
collected all the lists and charts and from them he made a book
which was called the Sepher Mischnaioth, or Mischnah - a
Deuterosis, or secondary law. He divided it into six
parts, each of which was divided into many chapters. We shall
consider these later.

The Mischnah is the foundation and the principal
part of the whole Talmud. This book was accepted by the Jews
everywhere and was recognized as their authentic code of law.
It was expounded in their Academies in Babylon - at Sura,
Iumbaditha and Nehardea - and in their Academies in Palestine
- at Tiberias, Iamnia and Lydda.

As their interpretations increased with the passing of time,
the disputations and decisions of the doctors of the law
concerning the Mischnah were written down, and these
writings constituted another part of the Talmud called the
Gemarah.

These two parts are so disposed throughout the whole Talmud
that the Mischnah serves first as a kind of text of the
law, and is followed by the Gemarah as an analysis of
its various opinions leading to definite decisions.

All the precepts of the Mischnah, however, were not
discussed in the Jewish schools. Those whose use was nullified
by the destruction of the Temple, and those whose observation
was possible only in the Holy Land were not commented upon.
Their explanation was left until the coming of Elias and the
Messiah. For this reason some parts of the Mischnah
are lacking in the Gemarah.

In interpreting the Mischnah of Rabbi Jehuda, the
schools of Palestine and Babylon followed each their own
method, and by thus following their own way gave rise to a
twofold Gemarah - the Jerusalem and the Babylonian
versions. The author of the Jerusalem version was Rabbi
Jochanan, who was head of the synagogue in Jerusalem for
eighty years. He wrote thirty-nine chapters of commentaries
on the Mischnah which he compiled in the year 230 A.D.

The Babylonian Gemarah, however, was not compiled by
any one person, nor at any one time. Rabbi Aschi began it in
327 A.D and labored over it for sixty years. He was followed
by Rabbi Maremar about the year 427 A.D., and it was completed
by Rabbi Abina about the year 500 A.D. The Babylonian
Gemarah
has thirty-six chapters of interpretations.

This twofold Gemarah, added to the Mischnah,
makes also a twofold Talmud: The Jerusalem version, which, on
account of its brevity and obscurity, is not much used; and the
Babylonian version, which has been held in the highest esteem
by
Jews of all times.

The Gemarah is followed by additions called
Tosephoth. It was thus that Rabbi Chaia first styled his
opinions on the Mischnah which were made by the doctors
outside the schools were called Baraietoth, or
extraneous
opinions.

These Commentaries were further supplemented by other
decisions called Piske Tosephoth, short theses and
simple
principles.

For nearly five hundred years after the Babylonian Talmud
was
completed, the study of literature was greatly hampered partly
due to public calamities and partly owing to dissensions among
the scholars. But in the eleventh century others wrote further
additions to the Talmud. Chief among these were the
Tosephoth of Rabbi Ascher.

Besides these there appeared the Perusch of Rabbi
Moische ben Maimon, called by the Jews Rambam for short, by the
Christians Maimonides, and by Rabbi Schelomo, Iarchi or Raschi.

Thus, the Mischna, Gemarah, Tosephoth, the marginal
notes of Rabbi Ascher, the Piske Tosephoth and the
Perusch Hamischnaioth of Maimonides, all collected into
one, constitute a vast work which is called the Talmud.

* * * * *

The main parts of the Talmud, which we mentioned above, are
six:

ZERAIM: concerning seeds. It treats of seeds, fruits,
herbs, trees; of the public and domestic use of fruits,
of different seeds, etc.

MOED: concerning festivals. It treats of the time when
the Sabbath and other festivals are to begin, ended and
celebrated.

NEZIKIN: concerning damages. It treats of damages
suffered by men and animals, penalties and
compensations.

KODASCHIM: concerning holiness. It treats of sacrifices
and various sacred rites.

TOHOROTH: concerning purifications. It treats of the
soiling and purifying of vessels, bedclothes and other
things.

Each of these six parts, which the Jews call Schishah
Sedarim - six orders or ordinances - is divided into books
or
tracts, called Massiktoth, and the books into chapters,
or
Perakim.

ZERAIM. Contains eleven books or Masechtoth.
1. BERAKTOTH - Benedictions and prayers. Treats of
liturgical rules.
2. PEAH - Corner of a field. Treats of the corners and
gleanings of the field...The olives and grapes to be
left
to the poor.
3. DEMAI - Doubtful things. Whether or not tithes must
be
paid on such.
4. KILAIM - Mixtures. Treats of various mixings of
seeds.
5. SCHEBIITH - the Sevents. Treats of the Sabbatical
Year.
6. TERUMOTH - Offerings and Oblations. The Heave
offerings for the priests.
7. MAASEROTH - the Tithes, to be given to the Levites.
8. MAASER SCHENI - the Second Tithe.
9. CHALLAH - the Dough, the portion to be given thereof
to the Priests.
10. ORLAH - the Uncircumcised. Treats about the fruits
of
a tree during the first three years after its
plantings.
11. BIKKURIM - the First Fruits to be brought to the
Temple.

MOED. Contains twelve Books or Masechtoth.
1. SCHABBATH - the Sabbath. Treats of kinds of work
prohibited on that day.
2. ERUBHIN - Combinations. Contains precepts about food
for the Sabbath eve.
3. SCHEKALIM - Passover. Treats of the laws relating to
the Feast of Passover and the Paschal Lamb.
4. SCHEKALIM - Shekel. Treats of the size and weight of
the shekel.
5. IOMA - the Day of Atonement. Treats of prescriptions
for that Day.
6. SUKKAH - the Tabernacle. Treats of the laws
concerning
the feast of Tabernacles.
7. BETSAH - the Egg of the Day of Feast. Treats of the
kind of work prohibited and permitted on the festivals.
8. ROSCH HASCHANAH - New Year. Treats of the Feast of
New
Year.
9. TAANITH - Fasts. Treats of public fasts.
10. MEGILLAH - the Scroll. Treats of the reading of the
Book of Esther. Contains the description of the Feast
of
Purim.
11. MOED KATON - Minor Feast. treats of laws relating
to
the days intervening between the first and last days of
Pesach and Succoth.
12. CHAGIGAH - Comparison of rites on on the three
feats
of Pesach, Sukkoth and Tabernacles.

NEZIKIN. Contains ten Books or Masechtoth.
1. BABA KAMA - First Gate. Treats of Damages and
Injuries
and their remedies.
2. BABA METSIA - Middle Gate. Treats of laws concerning
found property, concerning trust, concerning buying and
selling, lending, hiring and renting.
3. BABA BATHRA - Last Gate. Treats of laws concerning
real estate and commerce, mostly based on the
traditional
law. Also concerning hereditary succession.
4. SANHEDRIN - Courts. Treats of the courts and their
proceedings, and the punishment of capital crimes.
5. MAKKOTH - Stripes. The 40 stripes (minus one)
inflicted on criminals.
6. SCHEBUOTH - Oaths. Treats different kinds of oaths.
7. EDAIOTH - Testimonies. Contains a collection of
traditional laws and decisions gathers from the
testimonies of the distinguished teachers.
8. HORAIOTH- Decisions. Treats of the sentences of
Judges
and the punishment of transgressors.
9. ABHODAH ZARAH - Idolatry.
10. ABHOTH - Fathers. Treats of laws of the fathers. It
is called also PIRKE ABHOTH.

KODASCHIM. Contains eleven Books or Masechtoth.
1. ZEBBACHIM - Sacrifices. Treats of animal sacrifices
and the mode of their offering.
2. CHULIN - Profane things. Treats of the traditional
manner of slaughtering animals for ordinary use.
3. MENACHOTH - Meat-offerings. Treats of meat-and-drink
offerings.
4. BEKHOROTH - the First Born. Treats of the laws
concerning the first born of man and animals.
5. ERAKHIN - Estimations. Treats of the mode in which
persons dedicated to the Lord by a vow are legally
appraised in order to be redeemed.
6. TEMURAH - Exchange. Treats of the laws concerning
sanctified things having been exchanged.
7. MEILAH - Trespass, Sacrilege. Treats of the sins
subject to the punishment of excision, and their
expiation by sacrifices.
8. KERITHUTH - Excisions - Treats of the sins subject
to
the punishment of excision, and their expiation by
sacrifices.
9. TAMID - the Daily Sacrifice- Describes the Temple
services connected with the daily morning and evening
offerings.
10. MIDDOTH - Measurements. Describes the measurements
and description of the Temple.
11. KINNIM - the Birds' Nests. Treats of the sacrifices
consisting of fowls, the offerings of the poor, etc.

TOHOROTH. Contains twelve Books
or Masechtoth.
1. KELLIM - Vessels. Treats of the conditions under
which
domestic utensils, garments, etc. receive ritual
cleanness.
2. OHOLOTH - Tents. Treats of tents and houses, and how
polluted and purified.
3. NEGAIM - Plagues. Treats of the laws relating to
Leprosy.
4. PARAH - the Heifer. Treats of the laws concerning
the
red heifer and the use of its ashes for the
purification
of the unclean.
5. TOHOROTH - Purifications. Treats of some lesser
degrees of uncleanness lasting only until sunset.
6. MIKVAOTH - Wells. Treats of the conditions under
which
wells and reservoirs are fit to be used for ritual
purifications.
7. NIDDAH - Menstruation. Treats of the legal
uncleanness
arising from certain conditions in women.
8. MAKSCHIRIN - Preparations. Treats of liquids that
prepare and dispose seeds and fruits to receive ritual
uncleanness.
9. ZABHIM - Concerning nightly pollution and gonorrhea.
Treats on the uncleanness arising from such secretions.
10 TEBHUL IOM - Daily washing.
11. IADAIM - Hands. Treats of the ritual uncleanness of
hands, according to the traditional law, and of their
purification.
12. OKETSIN - Stalks of fruit. Treats of stalks and
shells of fruit as conveying ritual uncleanness.

The complete Talmud contains 63 books in 524 chapters.

Added to these are four other shorts tracts, which have not
been included in the regular Talmud. They have been added by
later writers and exponents.

These four are:
MASSEKHETH SOPHERIM - the Tract of Scribes. Treats of the mode
of
writing the books of the law. Has 21 chapters.
EBHEL RABBETI - a large treatise on Mourning. Has 14 chapters.
KALLAH - the Bride. On the acquisition of the bride. Has one
chapter.
MASSEKHETH DEREKH ERETS - the Conduct of Lide. Divided into
RABBAH - major parts, and ZUTA - the minor parts. Has 16
chapters. At the end is added a special chapter - PEREK SCHALOM
-
on Peace.

Since the Talmud was such a voluminous and disordered work,
there was a need of a compendium which would facilitate its
study. To supply this need, therefore, Rabbi Isaac ben Jacob
Alphassi, in 1032, published a Shorter Talmud, which he
called Halakhoth - Constitutions. He omitted all lengthy
discussions and preserved only those parts which had to do with
the practical things of life. Since this work, however, had no
order to it, it was not considered of great worth.

The first to issue a well ordered work on Jewish Law was
Maimonides, styled the "Eagle of the Synagogue." In
1180 he produced his celebrated work Miscnhah Torah -
Repetition of the Law, also called Iad Chazakah - the
Strong Hand. It contains four parts or volumes and 14 books and
includes the whole Talmud. Maimonides also included much
philosophical discussion in this work and attempted to
establish many laws of his own. Because of this he was
excommunicated by his people and condemned to death. He fled to
Egypt where he died in the year 1205.

In spite of this, the value of his work increased in time,
and for a while an expurgated version was held in the highest
esteem by the Jews. A drawback to this work is that it contains
many laws which were of no value after the destruction of the
Temple.

An edition of the work of Maimonides, expurgated of all his
philosophical innovations and of all the old, useless laws, was
edited in 1340, in strict accord with the ideas of the Rabbis,
by Jacob ben Ascher, to which he gave the name Arbaa Turim
- The Four Orders, which are:

ORACH CHAIIM: The seeds of Life, and treats of the
daily life in the home and in the Synagogue.

IORE DEAH: which teaches knowledge about foods,
purifications and other religious laws.

Since Alphasi, Maimonides and Jacob ben Ascher disagreed on
many points, which gave rise to different interpretations of
the same law, there was great need of a book which would
contain short, concise solutions to controversies, and which
would supply to the Jewish people a law book worthy of; the
name.

Joseph Karo, a Rabbi of Palestine (born 1488, died 1577),
supplied this need by his celebrated; commentary on the
Arbaa Turim, which he called Schulchan Arukh
- the Prepared Table.Since, however, the customs of
oriental Jews differed greatly from those of western Jews,
even the Schulchan Arukh, of Joseph Karo did not suffice
for Jews everywhere. And for this reason Rabbi Mosche Isserles
wrote a commentary on the Schulchan Arukh, entitled
Darkhe Mosche, the Way of Moses, which received the
same acceptance in the West as the work of Joseph Karo in the
East.

At the present time, the Schulchan Arukh is regarded
as the obligatory Law Code of the Jews, and they use it
principally in their studies. Many commentaries have been
written on each part of this book.

An important point to note is that this work has always been
regarded by the Jews as holy. They have always held it, and
still hold it, as more important than the Sacred Scriptures.
The Talmud itself shows this very clearly:

In the tract Babha Metsia, fol. 33a, we read:
"Those who devote themselves to reading the Bible exercise
a certain virtue, but not very much; those who study the
Mischnah exercise virtue for which they will receive a
reward; those, however, who take upon themselves to study the
Gemarah exercise the highest virtue."

Likewise in the tract Sopherim XV, 7, fol. 13b:
"The Sacred Scriptures is like water, the Mischnah
wine, and the Gemarah aromatic wine.

The following is a well-known and highly praised opinion in
the writings of the Rabbis:
"My son, give heed to the words of the scribes rather than
to the words of the law."

The reason for this is found in the tract Sanhedrin
X, 3, f.88b:
"He who transgresses the words of the scribes sins more
gravely than the transgressors of the words of the law."

Also when there are differences of opinion between the Law
and the doctors, both must be taken as the words of the Lord
God.
In the tract Erubhin, f.13b, where it is related that
there was a difference of opinion between the two schools of
Hillel and Schamai, it is concluded that:
"The words of both are the words of the living God."
In the book Mizbeach, cap. V, we find the following
opinion:
"There is nothing superior to the Holy Talmud."
Contemporary defenders of the Talmud speak of it almost in the
same way.

What Christians have thought of the Talmud is amply proved
by the many edicts and decrees issued about it, by which the
supreme rulers in Church and State proscribed it many times and
condemned this sacred Secondary Law Code of the Jews to the
flames.

In 553 the Emperor Justinian forbade the spread of the
Talmudic books throughout the Roman Empire. In the 13th century
"Popes Gregory IX and Innocent IV condemned the books of
the Talmud as containing every kind of vileness and blasphemy
against Christian truth, and ordered them to be burned because
they spread many horrible heresies."

Later, they were condemned by many other Roman Pontiffs -
Julius III, Paul IV, Pius IV, Pius V, Gregory XIII, Clement
VIII,
Alexander VII, Benedict XIV, and by others who issued new
editions of the Index of Forbidden Books according to the
orders of the Fathers of the Council of Trent, and even in our
own time.

At the beginning of the 16th century, when the peace of the
Church was disturbed by new religions, the Jews began to
distribute the Talmud openly, aided by the art of printing then
recently invented. The first printed edition of the whole
Talmud, containing all its blasphemies against the Christian
religion, was published in Venice in the year 1520. And almost
all Jewish books published in that century, which was favorable
to them, are complete and genuine.

Towards the end of the 16th century and at the beginning of
the 17th, when many famous men undertook diligently to study
the Talmud, the Jews, fearing for themselves, began to expunge
parts of the Talmud which was published at Basle in 1578 has
been mutilated in many places.

And at Synod in Poland, in the year 1631, the Rabbis of
Germany and many other countries declared that nothing which
would annoy the Christians and cause persecution of Israel,
should be printed. For this reason there are signs of many
things missing in the Jewish books which were published in
the following century and thereafter. The Rabbis explain from
memory what these things mean, for they possess the genuine
books which Christians rarely see.

However, Jewish books were published later with very few
mutilations in Holland - where the Jews who were expelled from
Spain were kindly received. The Talmud published there in 1644
- 1648 is almost similar to the Venetian edition.

The latest device invented to deceive the censors was to
insert the word haiah (was) with the genuine text, as
if to indicate that the matter in question once had its place
there. But by so doing they only cleanse the outside of the
cup. For in many places they do show what they mean, ex.gr.
by the words gam attah, "even now," viz.
"this law obliges"; and aphilu bazzeman
hazzeh, "even to this day" viz. "this
law holds," and such like.

We must add a few remarks about that other very well known
book of the Jews, called the ZOHAR.

According to some Rabbis, Moses, after he had been
instructed in the interpretation of the law on Mount Sinai, did
not pass this information to Joshua nor he to the Elders, but
to Aaron, Aaron to Eleazer, and so on until the oral teachings
had been put into book form called the ZOHAR, so called from
the name ZEHAR, meaning to shine forth. For it is an
illustration of the books of Moses, a commentary on the
Pentateuch.

The author is said to have been R. Schimeon ben Jochai, a
disciple of R. Akibha who, fifty years after the destruction of
the Temple, ended his life as a martyr about the year 120 A.D.
in Hadrian's war against the Jews. Since, however, names of men
appear in this book who lived many centuries after the year
indicated, and since neither Rambam (R. Mosche ben Nachman),
nor R. Ascher, who died about the year 1248 A.D., make no
mention of it, it is more likely that those are nearer the
truth who say that the book of Zohar first saw the light about
the 13th century. Especially is this considered likely since
about this time a book was produced which is similar in
argument and style to the Chaldaic type of writing.

It consists of three volumes in large octavo.

Many other works have been published by the Jewish teachers
which are used in the study of Jewish law, and which are held
in high esteem since they explain many obscure passages in the
Talmud. Some of them are cited in this book, and are as
follows:

BIAR - Declaration, elucidation, Commentary on another
Commentary. These declarations differ from one another.

HALAKOTH - usually written HILKHOTH - Decisions or
Dissertations. Separate books of Holy Scriptures and of the
Talmud by different Rabbis: Maimonides, Beshai, Edels, Moses of
Kotzen, Kimchi and others. In most cases citations are given
from HILKOTH AKUM by Maimonides. These contain dissertations
on stars and planets and the status of nations. There is
another - HILKOTH MAAKHALOTH ASAVOROTH - dissertation about
forbidden foods.

IUCHASIN or SEPHER IUCHASIN - dissertations on lineage.
Treats of Sacred and Jewish history from the beginning of the
world until 1500. Printed at Cracow, 1580.

JALKUT - a collected commentary from various ancient books.
Supposed to have not a literal but allegorical meaning. Author:
Rabbi Shimeon of Frankfurt.

I have only used the works of those who are held in the
highest esteem by the Jews themselves, and to whom the Jews
appeal when disputing with Christians, by quoting impartially
the opinions of these learned men. Their great dilligence in
quoting from the texts of books which I was able to examine,
has been a proof to me that I used the same diligence even in
quoting from less known sources to which they have much greater
access than I.

THE TEACHING OF THE TALMUD CONCERNING CHRISTIANS

First we shall see what the Talmud teaches
about Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity;
and secondly, about his followers, the Christians.

CHAPTER I

JESUS CHRIST IN THE TALMUD

Many passages in the Talmudic books treat of the birth,
life,
death, and teachings of Jesus Christ. He is not always referred
to by the same name, however, but is diversely called "
That
Man," "A Certain One," "The Carpenter's
Son," "The One Who Was Hanged," etc.

1. The real name of Christ in Hebrew is Jeschua Hanotsri
- Jesus the Nazarene. He is called Notsri from the city
of Nazareth in which he was brought up. Thus in the Talmud
Christians also are called Notsrim - Nazarenes.
Since the word Jeschua means "Savior," the
name Jesus rarely occurs in the Jewish books. It is almost
always abbreviated to Jeschu, which is maliciously taken
as if it were composed of the initial letters of the three
words Immach Schemo Vezikro - "May his name and memory be
blotted out."

2. In the Talmud Christ is called Otho Isch -
"That man," i.e. the one who is known to all. In the
tract Abhodah Zarah, 6a, we read: "He is called a
Christian who follows the false teachings of that man,
who taught them to celebrate the feast on the first day of the
Sabbath, that is, to worship on the first day after the
Sabbath"

3. Elsewhere he is simply called Peloni - "A
Certain One." In Chagigah, 4b, we read:
"Mary...the mother of a certain one, of whom it is related
in Schabbath..." (104b)
That this Mary is none other than the mother of Jesus will be
shown later.

4. Out of contempt, Jesus is also called Naggar bar
naggar - "the carpenter son of a carpenter", also
Ben charsch etaim - "the son of a wood
worker."

5. He is also called Talui - "The one who was
hanged." Rabbi Samuel, the son of Mair, in the Hilch.
Akum of Maimonides, refers to the fact that it was
forbidden
to take part in the Christian feats of Christmas and Easter
because they were celebrated on account of him who was
hanged. And Rabbi Aben Ezra, in a commentary on Genes.
also calls him Talui, whose image the Emperor
Constantine
reproduced on his banner. "...in the days of Constantine,
who made a change of religion and placed the figure of the
one who was hanged on his banner."

The Talmud teaches that Jesus Christ was illegitimate and
was conceived during menstruation; that he had the soul of
Esau; that he was a fool, a conjurer, a seducer; that he was
crucified, buried in hell and set up as an idol ever since by
his followers.

1. ILLEGITIMATE AND CONCEIVED DURING MENSTRUATION
The following is narrated in the Tract Kallah, 1b:
"Once when the Elders were seated at the Gate, two young
men passed by, one of whom had his covered, the other with his
head bare. Rabbi Eliezer remarked that the one in his bare head
was illegitimate, a mamzer. Rabbi Jehoschua said that he
was conceived during menstruation, ben niddah. Rabbi
Akibah, however, said that he was both. Whereupon the others
asked Rabbi Akibah why he dared to contradict his colleagues.
He answered that he could prove what he said. He went therefore
to the boy's mother whom he saw sitting in the market place
selling vegetables and said to her: "My daughter, if you
will answer truthfully what I am going to ask you, I promise
that you will be saved in the next life." She demanded
that he would swear to keep his promise, and Rabbi Akibah did
so - but with his lips only, for in his heart he invalidated
his oath. Then he said: "Tell me, what kind of son is this
of yours"? To which she replied: "The day I was
married I was having menstruation, and because of this my
husband left me. But an evil spirit came and slept with me and
from this intercourse my son was born to me." Thus it was
proved that this young man was not only illegitimate but
also conceived during the menstruation of his mother. And when
his questioners heard this they declared: "Great indeed
was Rabbi Akibah when he corrected his Elders"! And they
exclaimed: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who revealed
his secret to Rabbi Akibah the son of Joseph"!
That the Jews understand this story to refer to Jesus and his
mother, Mary, is clearly demonstrated in their book Toldath
Jeschu - "The Generations of Jesus" - where
the birth of our Savior is narrated in almost the same words.

Another story of this kind is narrated in Sanhedrin,
67a:
"Of all who are guilty of death by the Law, he alone is
caught by a ruse. How is it done? They light a candle in an
inner
room and place witnesses in an adjoining room outside where
they
can see him and hear his voice, but where they cannot be seen
by
him. Then the one whom he tried to seduce says to him
"Please repeat here privately what you told me
before."
If the seducer repeats what he said, the others ask him "
But
how shall we leave our God who is in heaven and serve
idols?" If the seducer repents, then all is well.But if he
says "This is our duty and it is right for us to do
so," then the witnesses outside, who have heard him, bring
him before the judge and stone him to death. This is what they
did to the son of Stadi in Lud, and they hanged him on the eve
of
the Passover. Forthis son of Stada was the son of Pandira. For
Rabbi Chasda tells us that Pandira was the husband of Stada,
his
mother, and he lived during the time Paphus the son of Jehuda.
But his mother was stada, Mary of Magdala (a ladies'
hairdresser)
who, as it is said in Pumbadita, deserted her husband."
The meaning of this is that his Mary was called Stada, that is,
a
prostitute, because, according to what was taught at Pumbadita,
she left her husband and commited adultery. This is also
recorded
in the Jerusalem Talmud and by Maimonides.
That the mention here is of Mary, the mother of Jesus, is
verified in the Tract Chagigah, 4b:
"When Rabbi Bibhai was visited once by the Death Angel
(the
devil), the latter said to his assistant: "Go and bring to
me Mary the hairdresser" (that is, kill her). He went and
brought Mary the children's hairdresser - in place of the other
Mary."
A marginal note explains this passage as follows:
"This story of Mary the Ladies' hairdresser happened under
the Second Temple. She was the mother of Peloni,
"that man," as he is called in the tract
Schabbath."
In Schabbath the passage referred to says:
"Rabbi Elizer said to the Elders: "Did not the son
Stada practice Egyptian magic by cutting it into his
flesh?"
They replied: "He was a fool, and we do not pay attention
to
what fools do. The son of Stada, Pandra's son, etc." as
above in Sanhedrin, 67a.
This magic of the son of Stada is explained as follows in the
book Beth Jacobh, fol. 127 a:
"The Magi, before they left Egypt, took special care not
to
put their magic in writing lest other peoples might come to
learn
it But he devised a new way by which he inscribed it on his
skin,
or made cuts in his skin and inserted it there and which, when
the wounds healed up, did not show what they meant."
Buxtorf says:
"There is little doubt who this Ben Stada was, or who the
Jews understood him to be. Although the Rabbis in their
additions
to the Talmud try to hide their malice and say that it is not
Jesus Christ, their deceit is plainly evident, and many things
prove that they wrote and understood all these things about
him.
In the first place, they also call him the son of Pandira.
Jesus
the Nazarene is thus called in other passages of the Talmud
where
express mention is made of Jesus the son of Pandira. St.
John Damascene also, in his Genealogy of Christ, mentions
Panthera and the Son of Panthera.
"Secondly, this Stada is said to be Mary, and this Mary
the mother of Peloni "that certain one," by
which without doubt Jesus is meant. For in this way they were
accustomed to cover up his name because they were afraid to
mention it. If we had copies of the original manuscripts they
would certainly prove this. And this also was the name of the
mother of Jesus the Nazarene.
"Thirdly, he is called the Seducer of the People. The
Gospels testify that Jesus was called this by the Jews, and
their writings to this day are proof that they still call him
by this name.
"Fourthly, he is called "the one who was
hanged,"
which clearly refers to the crucifixion of Christ, especially
since a reference to the time "on the eve of the
Passover" is added, which coincides with the time of the
crucifixion of Jesus. In Sanhedrin they wrote as
follows:
"On the eve of the Passover they hanged Jesus"
"Fifthly, as to what the Jerusalem Talmud says about the
two
disciples of the Elders who were sent as witnesses to spy on
him,
and who were afterwards brought forward as witnesses against
him:
This refers to the two "false witnesses" of whom the
Evangelists Matthew and Luke make mention.
"Sixthly, concerning what they say about the son of Stada
that he practiced Egyptian magical arts by cutting into his
flesh: the same accusation is made against Christ in their
hostile book Toldoth Jeschu.
"Lastly, the time corresponds. For it is said that this
son
of Stada lived in the days of Paphus the son of Jehuda, who was
a
contemporary of Rabbi Akibah. Akibah, however, lived at
the
time of the Ascension of Christ, and for some time after. Mary
is
also said to have lived under the Second Temple. All this
clearly
proves that they secretly and blasphemously understand this son
of Stada to be Jesus Christ the son of Mary.
"Other circumstances may seem to contradict this. But that
is nothing new in Jewish writings and is done on purpose so
that
Christians may not easily detect their trickery."

2. Furthermore, "In the secret books, which are not
permitted to fall easily into the hands of Christians, they say
that the soul of Esau came into Christ, that he was therefore
evil and that he was Esau himself."

3. By some he is called a FOOL and INSANE
In Schabbath, 104b:
"They, [the Elders] said to him [Eliezer]: "He was a
fool, and no one pays attention to fools."

4. A CONJURER AND MAGICIAN
In the infamous book Toldoth Jeschu, our Savior is
blasphemed as follows:
"And Jesus said: Did not Isaiah and David, my ancestors,
prophesy about me? The Lord said to me, thou art my son,
today I have begotten thee, etc. Likewise in another place:
The Lord said to my Lord, sit thou at my right hand. Now I
ascend to my father who is in heaven and will sit at his right
hand, which you will see with your own eyes. But you, Judas,
will never reach that high. Then Jesus pronounced the great
name of God (IHVH) and continued to do so until a wind came and
took him up between earth and sky. Judas also pronounced the
name of God and he likewise was taken up by the wind. In this
way they both floated around in the air to the amazement of the
onlookers. Then Judas, again pronouncing the Divine Nane, took
hold of Jesus and pushed him down to earth. But Jesus tried to
do the same to Judas and thus they fought together. And when
Judas saw he could not win out over the works of Jesushe pissed
on Jesus, and both thus being unclean they fell to earth; nor
could they use the Divine name again until they had washed
themselves."
Whether those who believe such devilish lies deserve greater
hatred or pity, I cannot say.
In another place in the same book it is related that in the
house of the Sanctuary there was a stone which the Patriarch
Jacob anointed with oil. On this stone were carved the
tetragrammatic letters of the Name (IHVH), and if anyone could
learn from them he could destroy the world. They therefore
decreed that no one must learn them, and they placed two dogs
upon two iron columns before the Sanctuary so that if anyone
should learn them the dogs would bark at him coming out and he
would forget the letters through fear. Then it is related:
"Jesus came and entered, learned the letters and wrote
them down on parchment. Then he cut into the flesh of his thigh
and inserted them there, and having pronounced the name, the
wound healed."

5. IDOLATER
In the Tract Sanhedrin (103a) the words of Psalm
XCI, 10: "No plague shall come near thy dwelling,"
are
explained as follows:
"That thou mayest never have a son or a disciple who will
salt his food so much that he destroys his taste in public,
like
Jesus the Nazarene."
To salt one's food too much or to destroy one's taste, is
proverbially said of one who corrupts his morals or dishonors
himself, or who falls into heresy and idolatry and openly
preaches it to others.

6. SEDUCER
In the same book Sanhedrin (107b) we read:
"Mar said: Jesus seduced, corrupted and destroyed
Israel."

7. CRUCIFIED
Finally as punishment for his crimes and impiety, he suffered
an
ignominious death by being hanged on a cross on the eve of the
Passover (as we have seen above).

8. BURIED IN HELL
The book Zohar, III, (282), tells us that Jesus died like a
beast
and was buried in that "dirt heap...where they throw the
dead bodies of dogs and asses, and where the sons of Esau [the
Christians] and of Ismael [the Turks], also Jesus and Mahommed,
uncircumcized and unclean like dead dogs, are buried."

9. WORSHIPPED AS GOD AFTER HIS DEATH BY HIS FOLLOWERS
George El. Edzard, in his book Avoda Sara, quotes the
following words of the commentator on the Hilkoth Akum
(V,3) of Maimonides:
"In many passages of the Talmud mention is made of Jesus
the Nazarene and of his disciples, and that the Gentiles
believe that there is no other God besides him. In the book
Chizzuk Emunah, part I, ch. 36, we read: "The
Christians build up an argument from this [Zachary XII, 10] and
say: Behold how thew Prophet testified that in future ages the
Jews would would lament and weep because they crucified and
killed the Messiah who was sent to them; and to prove that he
meant Jesus the Nazarene, possessing both the divine and human
nature, they quote the words: And they looked upon him whom
they transfixed and they wept over him as a mother over her
first born child.""Maimonides attempts to prove how much Christians err in
worshipping Jesus in his book Hilkoth Melakhim (IX, 4):
"If all the things he did had prospered, if he had rebuilt
the Sanctuary in its place, and had gathered together the
dispersed tribes of Israel, then he would certainly be the
Messiah....But if so far hew has not done so and if he was
killed, then it is clear he was not the Messiah whom the Law
tells us to expect. He was similar to all the good and upright
rulers of the House of David who died, and whom the Holy and
Blessed Lord raised up for no other reason but to prove to
many,
as it is said (in Dan. XI, 35): And some of them who
understand shall fall, to try and to purge them and to make
them white, even till the end of time, because the appointed
time is not yet. Daniel also prophesised about Jesus the
Nazarene who thought he was the Christ, and who was put to
death by the judgment of the Senate: (Dan. V.14): ...and
the robbers of thy people shall exalt
themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fail.
What
could be plainer? For all the Prophets said that the Christ
would
set Israel free, would bring it salvation, restore its
dispersed
peoples and confirm their laws. But he was the cause of the
destruction of Israel and caused the rest of them to be
dispersed
and humiliated, so that the Law was changed and the greater
part
of the world was seduced to worship another God. Truly no one
can
understand the designs of the Creator, nor are his ways our
ways.
For all that has been built up by Jesus the Nazarene, and by
the
Turks who came after him, tend only to prepare the way for the
coming of Christ the King, and to prepare the whole world
equally
for the service of the Lord, as it is said: For then I shall
give a clean moth to all peoples that all may call upon the
name
of the Lord, and bow down in unison before him. How is this
being accomplished? Already the whole world is filled with the
praise of Christ, the Law and the Commandments, and his praises
have spread to far distant lands and to peoples whose hearts
and bodies are uncircumcized. These discuss with one another
about the Law that was destroyed - some saying that the
commandments were once true, but have ceased to exist; others
that there is a great mystery about it, that the Messiah-King
has
come and that their doctrine has revealed it. But when the
Christ
truly comes and is successful, and is raised up and exalted,
then
everything will be changed and these things will be shown to be
false and vain."

10. AN IDOL
In the Tract Abhodah Zarah, (21a Toseph), we
read:
"It is of importance to inquire the reasons why men
nowadays
even sell and rent their houses to Gentiles. Some say
this
is legal because it is said in Tosephta: No one shall
rent his house to a gentile either here [in the land of Israel]
or elsewhere because it is known that he will bring an idol
into
it. It is nevertheless allowed to rent them stables, barns and
lodging houses, even though it is known that they will bring
idols into them. The reason is because a distinction can be
made between a place into which an idol will be carried in
order
to leave it there permanently, and a place where it will not be
left permanently, in which case it is allowed. And since the
gentiles, among whom we now live, do not bring their idol into
their homes to leave it there permanently, but only for a time
-
while someone is dead in the house or when someone is dying,
nor
do they even perform any religious rites there - it is
therefore
permitted to sell and rent them houses."
Rabbi Ascher, in his Commentary on Abhodah Zarah (83d)
speaks not less clearly on this matter: "Today it is
permitted to rent houses to Gentiles because they bring their
idol into them only for a time, when somebody is sick."
And in the same place he says "Today they have a practice
of incensing their idol.""
All this, and much more like it, proves beyond a doubt that
when
the Rabbis speak of the idols of the Gentiles among whom they
lived at that time, when no idols were worshipped, they clearly
meant the Christian "idol," namely, the image of
Christ
on the crucifix and the Holy Communion.

In Jewish writings there is no directly corresponding word
for the Christian Cross. The cross T on which those condemned
to death were crucified, was called Tau by the
Phoenicians and the Hebrews, and this name and sign for it was
afterwards taken over into the alphabet of the Jews and of the
Greeks and the Romans. The Cross honored by the Christians,
however, is called by the following names:
1. Tsurath Haattalui - the image who was hanged.
2. Elil - vanity, idol.
3. Tselem - image. Hence the Crusaders in Jewish books
are called Tsalmerim (ein Tsalmer)
4. Scheti Veerebh - warp and woof, which is taken from
the textile art.
5. Kokhabh - star; on account of the four rays emanating
from it.
6. Pesila - a sculpture, a carven idol.
But whenever it is mentioned it is always in the sense of an
idol
or of something despicable, as can be seen from the following
quotations:
In Orach Chaiim, 113,8:
"If a Jew when praying should meet a Christian [Akum]
carrying a star [a crucifix] in his hand, even if he has
come to a place in his prayer where it is necessary to bow down
to worship God in his heart, he must not to so lest he should
seem to bow down before an image."
In Iore Dea, 150,2:
"Even if a Jew should get a splinter in his foot in front
of
an idol, or if he should drop his money before it, he must not
stoop down to remove the splinter or to gather his money lest
he
should seem to adore it. But he should either sit down or turn
his back or his side to the idol and then remove the
splinter."
But whenever it is not possible for a Jew to turn away like
this,
the following rule must be observed (in Iore Dea, 3,
Hagah):
"It is not permitted to bow down or to remove one's hat
before princes or priests who wear a cross on their dress, as
is
their custom. Care must be taken, however, not to be noticed in
failing to do so. For instance, one can throw some coins on the
ground and stoop down to pick them up before they pass by. In
this way it is permitted to bow down or to remove one's hat
before them." A distinction is also made between a cross
which is venerated and a cross which is worn around the neck as
a
souvenir or as an ornament. The former is to be regarded as an
idol, but not necessarily the latter. In Iore Dea, 141,
1, Hagah, it says:
"The image of a cross, before which they bow down, is to
be
treated as an idol, and it is not to be used until it is
destroyed. However, a 'warp and woof' if hung around the neck
as
a souvenir is not to be regarded as an idol and can be
used."
The sign of the cross made with the hand, by which Christians
are
wont to bless themselves, is called in Jewish "the moving
of
the fingers here and there" (hinc et hinc).

The Seducer and Idolator could teach nothing but falsehood
and heresy which was irrational and impossible to observe.

1. FALSHOOD
In Abhodah Zarah (6a) it says:
"A Nazarene is one who follows the false teachings of that
man who taught them to worship on the first day of the
Sabbath."

2. HERESY
In the same book Abohah Zar. (Ch.I, 17a Toseph)
mention is made of the heresy of James. A little further on
(27b)
we learn that this James was none other than the disciple of
Jesus:
"...James Sekhanites, one of the disciples of Jesus, of
whom
we spoke in chapter 1."
But James taught, not his own doctrine, but that of Jesus.

3. IMPOSSIBLE TO OBSERVE
The author of Nizzachon argues as follows on this point:
"A written law of the Christians is: If a Jew strike you
on
one cheek, turn the other also to him and do not in any way
return the blow.And ch. VI, v. 27 says: Love your enemies;
do good to them who hate you; bless them who curse you and pray
for those who do you harm; unto him who strikes you on one
cheek
offer him the other. To him who takes away thy cloak do not
forbid him to take thy coat also, etc. The same is found in
Matthew ch. V, v.39. But I have never seen any Christian keep
this law, nor did Jesus himself behave as he taught others to
do. For we find in John ch XVIII, v22, that when someone
struck him on the face, he did not turn the other cheek, but
became angry on account of this one stroke and asked "Why
do you strike me"? Likewise in the Acts of the
Apostles,
ch.XXIII, v. 3, we read: that when the High Priest ordered them
that stood by to strike him on the mouth, Paul did not turn the
other cheek; he cursed him saying "God shall smite thee
thou
whited wall, etc." This is contrary to their beliefs and
destroys the foundation upon which their religion rests, for
they
boast that the law of Jesus is easy to observe. If Paul
himself,
who may be called the Dispenser of Jesus, could not preserve
the
precept of Jesus, who among the others who believe in him can
prove to me that he can do so?"
The author, however, who had the Gospels and the Acts of the
Apostles under his hand, could not have failed to understand in
what sense Christ commanded his followers to turn the other
cheek
to him who would strike them, since in another place he
commanded
his followers to cut off a hand or an arm, and to pluck out an
eye if these should scandalize them. No one who has had the
least
acquaintance with the Holy Scriptures ever thought that these
commands should be taken literally. Only deep malice and
ignorance of the times in which Jesus lived can explain why the
Jews, even to this day, use these passages to detract from the
teachings of Jesus Christ.

As in our languages Christians take their name from Christ,
so in the language of the Talmud Christians are called
Notsrim, from Jesus the Nazarene. But Christians are
also called by the names used in the Talmud to designate all
non-Jews: Abhodah Zarah, Akum, Obhde Elilim, Minim, Nokhrim,
Edom, Amme Haarets, Goim, Apikorosim, Kuthrim.

1. Abhodah Zarah - Strange worship, idolatry. The
Talmudic Tract on Idolatry is thus entitled: Obhde Abhodah
Zarah - Idol Worshippers. That Abhodah Zarah really
means the cult of idols is clear from the Talmud itself:
"Let Nimrod come and testify that Abraham was not a server
of Abhodah Zarah ." But in these days of Abraham
there existed no strange cult either of the Turks or the
Nazarenes, but only the worship of the true God and idolatry.
In Schabbath (ibid. 82a), it says:
"Rabbi Akibah says: How do we know that Abhodah
Zarah, like an unclean woman, contaminates those who
subscribe to it? Because Isaiah says: Thou shalt cast them
away like a menstruation cloth; and shalt say unto it, Get
thee hence."
In the first part of this verse mention is made of idols made
from gold and silver.
The learned Maimonides also clearly demonstrates that the Jews
regarded Christians as Abhodah Zarah. In Perusch
(78c) he says: "And be it known that Christian people who
follow Jesus, although their teachings vary, are all
worshippers of idols (Abhodah Zarah)."

2. Akum - This word is made up of the initial letters
of the words Obhde Kokhabkim U Mazzaloth - worshippers
of stars and planets. It was thus that the Jews formerly styled
the Gentiles who lacked all knowledge of the true God. Now,
however, the word Akum in Jewish books, especially in
the Schulkhan Arukh, is applied to Christians. This is
evident from numerous passages:
In the Orach Chaiim (113,8) those who use a cross are
called Akum. In the Iore Dea (148, 5, 12), those
who celebrate the feasts of Christmas and New Year, eight days
afterwards, are called worshippers of the stars and planets:
"Thus if a gift is sent to the Akum, even in these
times, on the eighth day after Christmas, which they call the
New Year," etc.

3. Obhde Elilim - Servers of idols. This name has the
same meaning as Akum. Non-Jews are frequently called by
this name. In the Orach Chaiim, for example (215, 5),
it says: "A blessing should not be pronounced over
incense which belongs to the servers of idols."
But at the same time when the Schulkhan Arukh was
written there were no worshippers of the stars and planets
(Akum); there were no 'servers of idols' among those
who lived with the Jews. Thus, for example, the author of the
Commentary on the Schulkhan Arukh (entitled Magen
Abraham), Rabbi Calissensis who died in Poland in 1775,
in note 8, on No. 244 of the Orach Chaiim (where it is
allowed to finish a work on the Sabbath with the help of an
Akum) says: "Here in our city the question is
raised about the price of hiring worshippers of the stars and
planets who sweep the public streets when they work on the
Sabbath."

4. Minim - Heretics. In the Talmud those who possess
books called the Gospels are heretics. Thus in Schabbath
(116a) it says:
"Rabbi Meir calls the books of the Minim Aven Gilaion
[iniquitous volumes] because they call them Gospels."

5. Edom - Edomites. Rabbi Aben Ezra, when he speaks
about the Emperor Constantine who changed his religion and
placed the image of him who was hanged on his banner, adds:
"Rome therefore is called the Kingdom of the
Edomites."
And Rabbi Bechai, in his Kad Hakkemach (fol. 20a,
on Isaiah, ch. LXVI, 17) writes:
"They are called Edomites who move their fingers 'here and
there'" (who make the sign of the cross).
Likewise Rabbi Bechai, commenting on the words of Isaiah
(loc.
cit.), "those who eat the flesh of swine" adds:
"These are the Edomites." Rabbi Kimchi, however,
calls them "Christians." And Rabbi Abarbinel, in his
work Maschima Ieschua (36d) says: "The Nazarenes
are Romans, the sons of Edom."

6. Goi - Race, or people. The Jews also call a man
a Goi - a gentile; they call a gentile woman a Goiah.
Sometimes, but very rarely, Israelites are called by this name.
It is mostly applied to non-Jews, or idolators. In Jewish books
which treat of Idolatry, worshippers of idols are often called
by
this single word Goi.
For this reason, in more recent editions of the Talmud the use
of
the word Goi is purposely avoided and other words for
non-Jews are substituted.
It is well known that in the Jewish language, the Jews call
Christians among whom they live, Goim. Nor do the Jews
deny this. Sometimes in their popular magazines they say that
this word means nothing harmful or evil. But the contrary can
be seen in their books written in the Hebrew language. For
instance, in Choschen Hammischpat (34, 22), the name
Goi is used in a depraved sense:
"Traitors and Epicureans and Apostates are worse than
Goim"

7. Nokhtrim - strangers, foreigners. This name is
used for all who are not Jews, and therefor for Christians.

8. Amme Haarets - People of the earth, idiots. There
are some who say that people of other races are not meant by
this, but only crude and uneducated people. There are passages,
however, which leave no doubt about the matter. In the Holy
Scripture, Book of Esra, ch. X, 2, we read: We have sinned
against our God, and have taken strange wives [nokhrioth] of
the people of the earth. That people of the earth
denotes idolators is clear from Zohar, I, 25a:
"The People of the earth - Obhde Abhodah Zarah,
idolaters.

9. Basar Vedam - Flesh and blood; carnal men who are
destined to perdition and who can have no communion with God.
That Christians are flesh and blood, is proved from the
prayer book:
"Whoever meets a wise and educated Christian can say:
Blessed art thou O Lord, King of the Universe, who dispenseth
of
thy wisdom to Flesh and Blood," etc.
Likewise in another prayer, in which they ask God soon to
restore
the kingdom of David and to send Elias and the Messia, etc.,
they
aak him to take away their poverty so that they will have no
need
to accept gifts from "flesh and blood," nor to trade
with them, nor to seek wages from them.

10. Apikorosim - Epicureans. All are called by this
name who do not observe God's precepts, as well as all those,
even Jews themselves, who express private judgments in matters
of faith. How much more, therefore, Christians!

11. Kuthim - Samaritans. But since there are no
longer
any Samaritans, and since there are many references in recent
Jewish books to Samaritans, who can doubt that this does not
mean the Christians?
Furthermore, in this matter of naming those who are not Jews,
it
is to be particularly noted that Jewish writings apply these
names indiscriminately and promiscuously when they speak of the
same thing, and almost in the same words. For instance, in the
Tract Abhodah Zarah (25b) the word Goi is employed, but
in the Schulkhan Arukh (Iore Dea 153, 2) Akum is
used. Kerithuth (6b) uses Goim; Jebhammoth
(61a) uses Akum; Abhodah Zar. (2a) uses
Obhde Elilim; Thoseph uses Goim and Obhde
Ab., Choschen Ham (Venetian ed.) uses Kuthi; (Slav.
ed.) Akum. And many more instances could be quoted.
Maimonides in his book on Idolatry indiscriminately calls all
the following idolators: Goim, Akum, Obhde Kokhabhim, Obhde
Elilim, etc.

In the preceding chapter we saw what the Jews think of the
Founder of the Christian religion, and how much they despise
his name. This being so, it would not be expected that they
would have any better opinion about those who follow Jesus the
Nazarene. In fact, nothing more abominable can be imagined
than what they have to say about Christians. They say that
they are idolaters, the worst kind of people, much worse than
the Turks, murderers, fornicators, impure animals, like dirt,
unworthy to be called men, beasts in human form, worthy of the
name of beasts, cows, asses, pigs, dogs, worse than dogs; that
they propagate after the manner of beasts, that they have
diabolic origin, that their souls come from the devil and
return
to the devil in hell after death; and that even the body of a
dead Christian is nothing different from that of an animal.

1. IDOLATERS
Since Christians follow the teachings of that man, whom
the Jews regard as a Seducer and an Idolater, and since they
worship him as God, it clearly follows that they merit the name
of idolater, in no way different from those among whom the Jews
lived before the birth of Christ, and whom they taught should
be exterminated by every possible means.

This is best demonstrated by the names they give Christians,
and
by the unmistakable words of Maimonides which prove that all
who
bear the name of Christian are idolaters. And anyone who
examines
Jewish books which speak of the "Worshippers of the Stars
and Planets," "Epicureans,"
"Samaritans,"
etc., cannot but conclude that these idolaters are none other
than Christians. The Turks are always called
"Ismaelites," never idolaters.

2. CHRISTIANS WORSE THAN THE TURKS
Maimonides in Hilkoth Maakhaloth (ch. IX) says:
"It is not permitted to drink the wine of a stranger who
becomes a convert, that is, one who accepts the seven precepts
of Noah, but is permitted to gain some benefit from it. It is
allowed to leave wine alone with him, but not to place it
before
him. The same is permitted in the case of all gentiles who are
not idolaters, such as the Turks [Ismaelites]. A Jew, however,
is
not permitted to drink their wine, although he may use it to
his
own advantage."

3. MURDERERS
In Abhodah Zarah (22a) it says:
"A Jew must not associate himself with gentiles because
they
are given to the shedding of blood."
Likewise in Iore Dea (153, 2):
"An Israelite must not associate himself with the Akum
[Christians] because they are given to the shedding of
blood."
In the Abhodah Zarah (25b) it says:
"The Rabbis taught: If a Goi joins an Israelite on the
road,
he [the Jew] should walk on his right side. Rabbi Ismael, the
son
of Rabbi Jochanan the nephew of Beruka, says: if he carries a
sword, let the Jew walk on his right side. If the Goi
carries a stick, the Jew should walk on his left side. If he is
climbing a hill or descending a steep incline, the Jew must not
go in front with the Goi behind, but the Jew must go behind and
the Goi in front, nor must he stoop down in front of him
for fear the Goi might crack his skull. And if he should ask
the
Jew how far he is going, he should pretend he is going a long
way, as Jacob our Father said to the impious Esau: until I
come to my Lord in Seir (Gen. XXXIII, 14-17), but it adds:
Jacob set out for Sukoth."

In Orach Chaiim (20, 2) it says:
"Do not sell your overcoat (Talith) with the
fringes
to an Akum, lest he should join up with a Jew on the road and
kill him. It is also forbidden to exchange or lend your
overcoat
with a Gentile, except for a short time and when there is
nothing to be feared from him."

4. FORNICATORS
In the Abhodah Zarah (15b) it says:
"Animals of the masculine sex must not be left in the
barns
of the Gentiles with their men, nor animals of the feminine sex
with their women; much less must animals of the feminine sex be
left with their men and of the masculine sex with their women.
Nor must sheep be left to the care of their shepherds; nor must
any intercourse be had with them; nor must children be given
into
their care to learn to read or to learn a trade."
In the same tract a little farther on (22a) it is explained why
animals must not be allowed in the barns of Gentiles, and why
Jews are not permitted to have sexual intercourse with them:
"Animals must not be allowed to go near the Goim,
because they are suspected of having intercourse with them. Nor
must women cohabit with them because they are over-sexed."
In fol. 22b of the same book the reason is given why animals
especially of the feminine sex must be kept away from their
women: "...because when Gentile men come to their
neighbors'
houses to commit adultery with their wives and do not find them
at home, they fornicate with the sheep in the barns instead.
And
sometimes even when their neighbors' wives are at home, they
prefer to fornicate with the animals; for they love the sheep
of
the Israelites more than their own women."
It is for the same reason that animals are not to be entrusted
to
Goi shepherds, nor children to their educators.

5. UNCLEAN
The Talmud gives two reasons why the Goim are unclean:
because they eat unclean things, and because they themselves
have not been cleansed (from original sin) on Mount Sinai. In
Schabbath, (145b) it says:
"Why are the Goim unclean? Because they eat
abominable things and animals that crawl on their belly."
Likewise in Abhodah Zarah, 22b:
"Why are the Goim unclean? Because they were not present
at
Mount Sinai. For when the serpent entered into Eve he infused
her
with uncleanness. But the Jews were cleansed from this when
they
stood on Mount Sinai; the Goim, however, who were not on
Mount Sinaim were not cleansed."

6. COMPARED TO DUNG
"When ten persons are praying together in one place and
they
say Kaddisch, or Kedoschah, anyone, even though
he
does not belong there, may respond Amen. There are some,
however,
who say that no dung or Akum must be
present."
In Iore Dea (198, 48) Hagah, it says:
"When Jewish women come out of a bath they must take care
to
meet a friend first, and not something unclean or a Chrsitian.
For if so, a woman, if she wants to keep holy, should go back
and
bathe again."
It is worthy of note that the following list of unclean things
is
a given in Biur Hetib, a commentary on the
Schulchan Arukh:
"A woman must wash herself again if she sees any unclean
things, such as a dog, an ass, or People of the Earth; a
Christian (Akum), a camel, a pig, a horse, and a leper.

7. NOT LIKE MEN, BUT BEASTS
In Kerithuth (6b p. 78) it says:
"The teaching of the Rabbis is: He who pours oil over a
Goi, and over dead bodies is freed from punishment. This
is true for an animal because it is not a man. But how can it
be said that by pouring oil over a Goi one is freed
from punishment, since a Goi is also a man? But this is
not true, for it is written: Ye are my flock, the flock of
my pasture are men (Ezechiel, XXXIV, 31). You are thus
called men, but the Goim are not called men."
In the Tract Makkoth (7b) he is said to be guilty of
killing "except when, if intending to kill an animal he
kills a man by mistake, or intending to kill a Goi, he
kills an Israelite."
In Orach Chaiim (225, 10) it says:
"He who sees beautiful creatures, even though it be an
Akum
or an animal, let him say 'Blessed art thou Our Lord God, King
of
the Universe, who has placed such things on the earth!'"

8. THEY DIFFER ONLY IN FORM FROM BEASTS
In Midrasch Talpioth (fol. 225d) it says:
"God created them in the form of men for the glory of
Israel. But Akum were created for the sole end of
ministering unto them [the Jews] day and night. Nor can they
ever be relieved from this service. It is becoming to the son
of a king [an Israelite] that animals in their natural form,
and animals in the form of human beings should minister unto
him."
We can quote here also what is said in Orach Chaiim, 57,
6a:
"If pigs are to be pitied when they suffer from disease,
because their intestines are similar to ours, how much more
should the Akum be pitied when thus affected."

9. ANIMALS
In Zohar, II, (64b) it says:
"...People who worship idols, and who are called cow and
ass, as it is written: I have a cow and an ass..."
Rabbi Bechai, in his book Kad Hakkemach, ch. I,
beginning with the word Geulah - redemption - referring to
Psalm 80, v.13:The boar out of the wood doth waste it, says:
"The letter ain is dropped [suspended] the same
as these worshippers are followers of him who was
suspended."
Buxtorf (Lex.) says:
"By wild pig the author here means the Christians
who eat pork and, like pigs, have destroyed the vineyard of
Israel, the City of Jerusalem, and who believe in the
'suspended' Christ. Else the letter ain is dropped in this
word because they, as worshippers of Christ who was hanged,
are also dropped."
Rabbi Edels, in commenting on Kethuboth (110b) says:
"The Psalmist compares the Akum to the unclean
beast in the woods."

10. WORSE THAN ANIMALS
Rabbi Schelomo Iarchi (Raschi), famous Jewish commentator,
explaining the law of Moses (Deuter. XIV, 21) forbidding
the eating of meat of wounded animals, but which must be given
to the 'stranger in thy gates,' or which, according to
Exodus
(XXII, 30) is to be thrown to the dogs, has this to say:
"...for he is like a dog. Are we to take to word 'dog'
here
literally? By no means. For the text in speaking of dead bodies
says, Or thou mayest sell it to an alien. This applies
much more to the meat of wounded animals, for which it is
permitted to accept payment. Why therefore does the Scripture
say it may be thrown to 'dogs?' In order to teach you that a
dog is to be more respected than the Nokhri."

11. THEY PROPAGATE LIKE BEASTS
In the Sanhedrin (74b) Tosephoth, it says:
"The sexual intercourse of a Goi is like that of a
beast."
And in Kethuboth (3b) it says:
"The seed of a Goi is worth the same as that of a
beast."
Hence it is to be inferred that Christian marriage is not true
marriage.
In Kidduschim (68a), it says:
"...How do we know this? Rabbi Huna says: You can read:
Remain here with the ass, that is, with a people like an ass.
Hence it appears that they are not capable of contracting
marriage."
And in Eben Haezer (44, 8):
"If a Jew enters into marriage with an Akum
(Christian), or with his servant, the marriage is null. For
they
are not capable of entering into matrimony. Likewise if an
Akum or a servant enter into matrimony with a Jew, the
marriage is null."
In Zohar (II, 64b) it says:
"Rabbi Abba says: If only idolaters alone had sexual
intercourse, the world would not continue to exist. Hence we
are
taught that a Jew should not give way to those infamous
robbers.
For if these propagate in greater numbers, it will be
impossible
for us to continue to exist because of them. For they give
birth
to sucklings the same as dogs."

12. CHILDREN OF THE DEVIL
In Zohar (I, 28b) we read:"Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the
field, etc. (Genes. III, 1.) 'More subtle' that is
towards evil; 'than all beasts' that is, the idolatrous people
of the earth. For they are the children of the ancient serpent
which seduced Eve."
The best argument used by the Jews to prove that Christians are
of the race of the devil is the fact that they are
uncircumcized.
The foreskin on non-Jews prevents them from being called the
children of the Most High God. For by circumcision the name of
God - Schaddai - is complete in the flesh of a
circumcized Jew. The form of the letter Isch is in his
nostrils, the letter Daleth in his (bent) arm, and ain
appears in his sexual organ by circumcision. In non-circumcized
gentiles, therefore, such as Christians, there are only two
letters, Isch and Daleth, which make the word
Sched, which means devil. They are, therefore, children
of the Sched, the devil.

13. THE SOULS OF CHRISTIANS ARE EVIL AND UNCLEAN
The teaching of the Jews is that God created two natures, one
good and the other evil, or one nature with two sides, one
clean
and the other unclean. From the unclean side, called
Keliphah
- rind, or scabby crust - the souls of Christians are said to
have come.
In Zohar (I, 131a) it says:
"idolatrous people, however, since they exist, befoul the
world, because their souls come out of the unclean side."
And in Emek Hammelech (23d) it says:
"The souls of the impious come from Keliphah, which
is death and the shadows of death."Zohar (I, 46b, 47a) goes to show that this unclean side
is the left side, from which the souls of the Christians come:
"And he created every living thing, that is, the
Israelites, because they are the children of the Most High God,
and their holy souls come out from Him. But where do the souls
of the idolatrous gentiles come from? Rabbi Eliezer says: from
the left side, which makes their souls unclean. They are
therefore all unclean and they pollute all who come in contact
with them."

14. AFTER DEATH THEY GO DOWN TO HELL
The Elders teach that Abraham sits at the gate of Gehenna and
prevents any circumcized person from entering there; but that
all the uncircumcized go down to hell.
In Rosch Haschanach (17a) it says:
"Heretics and Epicureans and Traitors go down into
hell."

15. THE FATE OF DEAD CHRISTIANS
The bodies of Christians after death are called by the odious
name of Pegarim, which is the word used in Holy
Scripture for the dead bodies of the damned and of animals,
but never for the pious dead who are called Metim.
Thus the Schulchan Arukh orders that a dead Christian
must be spoken of in the same way as a dead animal.
In Iore Dea (377, 1) it says:
"Condolences must not be offered to anyone on account of
the death of his servants or handmaids. All that may be said
is 'May God restore your lost one, the same as we say to a man
who has lost a cow or an ass.'"
Nor must Christians be avoided for seven days after they have
buried someone, as the law of Moses commands, since they
are not men; for the burial of an animal does not pollute one.
In Iebhammoth (61a) it says:
"The Nokhrim are not rendered unclean by a burial.
For it is said: Ye are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture;
ye are men. You are thus called men, but not the
Nokhrim."

Since Christians are regarded by the Jews as idolators, all
their forms of worship are idolatrous. Their priests are called
priests of Baal; their temples are called houses of lies and
idolatry, and everything they contain, such as chalices,
statues and books, are regarded as made for the serving of
idols; their prayers, both private and public, are sinful and
offensive to God; and their festivals are called days of evil.

1. PRIESTS
The Talmud speaks of priests, the ministers of Christian
worship,
as idolatrous and belonging to the god Baal. They are also
called
Komarim - Soothsayers; and also Galachim, the
shaved, because they shave their heads, particularly the monks.
In Abhodah Zarah (14b) Toseph, it says:
"It is forbidden to sell books of the prophets to the
soothsayers, since they may use them for their evil worship in
their idolatrous temples. Those who do so sin against the
law which forbids us to place an obstacle in the way of a blind
person. It is also forbidden to sell them to a Christian who is
not shaved, for he is sure to give or sell them to one of them
who is shaved."

2. CHRISTIAN CHURCHES
A place of Christian worship is called (1) Beth Tilfah,
a
house of vanity and foolishness, in place of Beth Tefilah,
a house of prayer; (2) Beth Abhodha Zarah, a House of
Idolatry; (3) Beth Hatturapi Schel Letsim, a house of
Evil Laughter.
In Abhodah Zarah (78) the Perusch of Maimonides, it
says:
"Be it known to you that it is beyond a doubt forbidden by
law to pass through a Christian city in which there is a house
of
vanity, that is, a house of idolatry; much more to live
therein.
But we today, as punishment for our sins, are subject to them,
and are forced to live in their countries, as it was foretold
in
Deuteronomy (IV, 28): And there ye shall serve gods,
the work of men's hands, of wood and stone...Thus if it is
allowed as predicted to pass around a Christian city, much more
so must we pass around an idolatrous temple; nor is it allowed
us even to look inside and above all to enter in."
A Jew is forbidden not only to enter a Christian church, but
even to go near it, except under certain circumstances.
In Iore Dea (142, 10) it says:
"It is forbidden to stand in the shadow of a house of
idolatry, whether from the inside or the outside, for a
distance
of four cubits from the front door. It is not forbidden,
however,
to stand under the shadows of the back of a church. Nor is the
shadow forbidden us if the church stands in a place where
formerly there was public road, which was taken from the
community and the house of idolatry built upon it. For the road
is still there. But if the house of idolatry existed
before
the road, it is not permitted to pass before it. There are some
who say that it is forbidden to pass there in any case."
Neither is a Jew allowed to listen to, or admire the beautiful
music of the churches. In Iore Dea (142, 15) it says:
"It is forbidden to listen to the music if idolatrous
worship, and to examine the statues of their idols; for even by
looking at them one can be influenced by the evil of idolatry.
But one can look who does not intend to be so affected."
Likewise a Jew is not allowed to have a house near a church;
nor
is he allowed to rebuild a house which has been destroyed in
such
a place. In Iore Dea (143, 1) it says:
"If a house near an idolatrous temple belonging to the
Akum falls down, it must not be rebuilt. A Jew must
remove it a certain distance away if he wishes to rebuild it.
But he must fill up the vacant space between his house and the
church with bushes and rubbish so that the space will not be
used to extend the idolatrous temple."
Here may be added what a certain Rabbi Kelomimus said about a
Christian church (in the book Nizzachon) to the Emperor
Henry III, who gave him permission to speak his opinion freely
about the Basilica which he had recently built at Spires:
"After the Emperor Henry III, a very wicked man, had
completed the building of that "Abyss," he sent for
Rabbi Kelominus and said to him: "I want to ask you,
how does this Basilica which I have built compare with the
magnificence of Solomon's Temple, about which so many volumes
have been written?" He replied: 'My Lord, if you will
permit
me that you will let me go unharmed, I will tell you the truth
about it.' The Emperor answered: 'I give you my word as a lover
of the truth and as an Emperor, that no harm shall come to
you.'
Then the Jew said: 'If you gathered together all you have spent
so far, and added to it all the silver and gold in your
treasury,
it would not suffice even to pay the workmen and craftsmen that
Solomon employed; for it is written (Chron. II, ch 2):
And Solomon told out threescore and ten thousand men to bear
burdens, and fourscore thousand to hew in the mountains, and
three thousand and six hundred to oversee them. Eight years
were spent in the building of the Temple, much more than you
spent in building this Tehon [Abyss]. And when Solomon
had finished his Temple, see what the Scripture says about it:
The priests could not stand to minister by reason of the
cloud; for the glory of God had filled the House of the Lord
(Chron. II, Ch. 5, 14). But if someone loaded an ass with
putrid garbage and led it into this abyss of yours, no one
would notice the difference!' The Emperor Henry then replied:
'Were it not that I have sworn to let you go unharmed, I would
order your head cut off.'"

3. CHALICES
Chalises used in the Sacrifice of the mass are spoken of as
vessels in which filth is offered up to the idol. Moses
Kozzensis, in Hilkoth Abhodah Zarah (10b) says:
"A Jew who buys Chalises of the Goi, which are broken and
thrown away, it is not permitted to sell them again to them,
because their priest of Baal will use them in the worship of
the
idol."

4. BOOKS
The Talmud calls the books of the Christians Minim
- heretical books - Siphre Debeth Abidan - Books of the
House of Perdition. The Talmud in particular speaks of the
books of the Gospels. Thus in Schabbath (116a)
Toseph: "Rabbi Meir calls heretical books Aaven Gilaion
(volumes of iniquity) because the call them Gospels."
And Rabbi Jochanan calls these books Aavon Gilaion, evil
books. The Schulchan Arukh, Crakow edition, gives this
name as Aven Niktabh al Haggilaion - iniquity written in a
book.
Buxtorf says: "In the Arukh there is a note Scheker
Niktabh al Gilaion, which means, a lie written in a
book."
All the Talmudists agree that the books of the Christians
should
be destroyed. They differ only as to what should be done with
the
names of God contained in them. In Schabbath (116a) it
says:
"The Glossaries of our own books and the books of the
heretics are not to be saved from the flames, if they should
catch fire on the Sabbath day. Rabbi Jose, however, says: 'On
festival days the divine names should be torn out of the books
of
the Christians and hidden away; what remains must be given to
the
flames.' But Rabbi Tarphon says: 'In order that I may be
remembered by my children, if those books should ever fall into
my hands I would burn them together with the divine names
contained therein. For if one is chased by an assassin, or by a
serpent, it would be better to take refuge in a pagan temple
than
in one of theirs; because the Christians knowingly resist the
truth, whereas the pagans do so unknowingly."

5. PRAYERS
Christian prayers are called, not Tefillah, but
Tiflah. They change the point and insert Iod,
which makes it read to mean sin, foolishness and
transgression.

6. CHRISTIAN FESTIVALS
Christian festivals, especially Sunday, are called Ion
Ed - day of destruction, perdition, misfortune or
calamity. They are also simply called Iom Notsri -
Christian Days. The word Ed rightly interpreted means
misfortune or calamity, as appears from the Gemarah
and the Glossaries of Maimonides in Abhodah Zarah
(2a):
"The word Edehem means the festivals of the
Christians, since it is written (in Deuter. XXXII, 35):
the day of their calamity."
Maimonides also says in Abhodah Zarah (78c):
"The words Edehem means the foolishness of their
festivlas. It is the name for their despicable feast days
which do not merit the name of Moedim, for they are
really vain and evil."
Baretenora also writes:
"The word Edehem is the name for their ignominious
festivals and solemnities."
The marginal notes of Tosephtoth also give this name to
Christian festivals. Thus in Abhodah Zarah (6a):
"The Day of Evil, that is the Christian Day, is forbidden
to us as well as all their other feast days."
Some Christian festivals are mentioned by name, such as the
feast of Christmas and Easter. Moses Mikkozzi, referring to the
above text of Abhodah Zarah , says:
"Rabbi Sammuel declares, in the name of Solomon Iarchi,
that in particular the festivals of Christmas and Easter, which
are their principal evil days and the foundation of
their religion, are forbidden to us."
Maimonides, in hilkoth Akum (ch. IX) has the same:
"Sammuel repeats the words of Rabbi Sal. Iarchi which
forbid
us particularly to celebrate the feasts of Christmas and
Easter,
which are celebrated on account of him who was hanged."
Furthermore, indications of the impiety of the Jews are to be
found in the names which they give to these Christian
festivals:
For in place of using Tav in the word Nithal,
they often write Tet and call it Nital for the
Latin word Natalis, the Feast of the Nativity. They make
it appear as if this word were from the root Natal which
connotes extermination or destruction. Likewise they refuse to
use the word Paschal (Pesach) for the Christian feast
of Easter. The substitute Koph for Phe and insert
the letter iod and call it Ketsach or Kesach.
Both pronunciations have an evil meaning. Ketsach is
from the root Katsah, meaning to amputate or cut off
from, and Kesach is from the root Kesa, meaning
to wood or a gallows. This is done because the feast of Easter
is celebrated by Christians in memory of Christ - the one who
was hanged - who was put to death and who rose again from the
dead.